EVENT RECAPS
LEGISLATIVE ACTION CONFERENCE: Is it Worth the Investment? BY COURTNEY FITZSIMONS MA, RD, CD, SNS FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR WEST LAFAYETTE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION
Wow! Legislative Action Conference. What a whirlwind. Not only was I a first-time LAC attendee, but it was also my first time in Washington, D.C. What a beautiful, powerful city rich with history and strength. As I sat reflecting on the days that I was away at the conference, it was easy to feel discouraged. State Board of Accounts was at my door, the demands of my job were competing for my attention, I missed my family and I was just exhausted. Not only that, but there was a real fear about what’s to happen next without the Child Nutrition Waiver extensions. I couldn’t help but ask myself, was it worth it? On the first day of conference, we quickly learned that the U.S. Senate was working on an Omnibus Appropriations Bill that did not contain language to extend the child nutrition waivers that helped our programs stay afloat throughout the pandemic and its effects. SNA compiled a letter and we were asked to reach out to our legislators to advocate for the extension of these waivers. I felt the sense of urgency in the room of nearly 700 school nutrition professionals. We shared this letter with our association, staff, co-ops, and families and within hours Congress received more than 133,000 e-mails. It was amazing to see the momentous support we had from our communities and the impact we made.
After two days of speakers and preparing, it was finally time to meet with our legislators. I was both nervous and excited. In each discussion, my group and I were able to convey the gravity of what we are dealing with day in and day out with a 20-40% increase in food and supplies and a 20% increase in labor costs. We shared our experiences of stockouts, labor shortages, and financial burdens. We pleaded for their support in extending the waivers. Although we were met with empathy and admiration for what we do, it was clear our Indiana legislators were not going to support these waiver extensions in the omnibus. It was hard not feeling deflated walking back into my district Wednesday morning. Drained from the trip, both physically and emotionally worn out, with essentially nothing to show for it. I needed some encouragement, a pick me up, so I reached out to the amazing group of people I spent the last several days with. With
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